This second installment in Collins' Hunger Games series is riveting from beginning to end. After securing the win for herself and Peeta through one fiThis second installment in Collins' Hunger Games series is riveting from beginning to end. After securing the win for herself and Peeta through one final, rebellious act in The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen finds herself caught up in a chain of political fallout that lands her in the one place she never thought she'd have to go again: the arena. While she finds herself this time fighting only for Peeta's survival, outside the Capitol her act of defiance in the last games has instigated all twelve districts to rebellion....more

In many of Burroughs's many other memoirs, you get a hint of the kind of alcoholism and addiction issues he has had to deal with. In Dry you get the fIn many of Burroughs's many other memoirs, you get a hint of the kind of alcoholism and addiction issues he has had to deal with. In Dry you get the full story, complete with an HIV positive friend and a crack-addicted, rehab group member love interest. Dry is another solid memoir in Augusten's relatively prolific collection. This one also offered the closest look at Augusten's career in advertising (of what I've read so far), giving me a better idea of why he so desperately wanted to leave the industry when he did....more

Second Nature, on the other hand, will appeal to only those who want to partake in in-depth philosophical discussions over the nature of a rose, a garden, a fence, etc. Or who are elitist gardening snobs who might enjoy reading about Pollan's assessment of the various gardening philosphies. Through his slightly snarky appraisals of the various seed catalogues out there, Pollan unfortunately comes off as the king of elitist gardening snobs. (Although I'm sure he's not.)

The shining jewel in this otherwise rather bland pseudo-memoir was Pollan's exploration of man's perpetual juxtaposition with nature, where even naturalists seem incapable of viewing man and nature as partners. Environmentalists and careless consumers alike view the earth in terms of either humanity OR nature, lacking any metaphor to view the two in harmony....more

Reality tv, survival in the woods, impossible love, corrupt government, and fights to the death. What more could you ask for in a tear-jerking, page-tReality tv, survival in the woods, impossible love, corrupt government, and fights to the death. What more could you ask for in a tear-jerking, page-turning young adult novel? Obviously, I walked away utterly fulfilled. The only thing that bummed me out about the book is that I didn’t come up with such an amazing premise myself. (Although, in reading some other Goodreads reviews on the book, it seems that perhaps Collins didn’t actually come up with the premise herself, either. You bet I’ll be checking out Battle Royale soon.)

The hunger games were created by the corrupt leaders of Panem after its thirteen districts tried and failed to rebel against the capital. Now, two names are drawn from each district at the annual reaping, and the girl and boy who are chosen must compete in the televised and sensationalized hunger games to try and win honor and much-needed food and supplies for their districts or, at the very least, try to stay alive in a game where only one may survive.

The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen's struggle for survival after she takes her younger sister's place in the hunger games. But the other contestant from her district, Peeta Mellark, was the boy who, many years ago, saved Katniss and her family from starvation when she had almost no hope left. Now she has to find a way to survive the game, decipher her feelings about Peeta, and figure out how to win without having to kill him....more

Thank GOD it's finally over! I gave this historical trek through Roman history two stars (as opposed to one) only because of how knowledgeable I now aThank GOD it's finally over! I gave this historical trek through Roman history two stars (as opposed to one) only because of how knowledgeable I now am about the founding of Rome and its history leading up to the Roman Empire.

The novel begins before the founding of Rome by the brothers Romulus and Remus, generally following one character from two of the original families in the area. Each chapter jumps to a new character about two generations down the line, skipping as little as half a century and up to two centuries.

While Saylor is obviously great at historical research and converting vague events and facts into a fictional story, his prose lacked any hint of finesse. (Is WAS the only verb allowed in historical fiction?) And he failed to frame much of the history in a way that showed as opposed to info dumping centuries into a contrived dialogue between a grandfather and his grandson. (This history lesson set up happened at the beginning of almost every single chapter.) This as well as the cardboard cutout nature of his characters grew very tiresome, so that one chapter hardly stood out from the next except through the different historical events they portrayed.

While I didn't mind these weaknesses for the first half of the book (I was actually listening to the audio version, thank goodness, or I never would have finished it!), by the time I had listened to 75 percent of it I was very seriously considering moving on to something else, until I realized how close I was to the finish line.

I also have Saylor's follow-up book, Empire Falls. But, at this moment, I feel absolutely no desire to listen to it....more

I feel like every year I'm picking up books like this and then setting them aside again, only partially read. Perhaps it's because search engine optimI feel like every year I'm picking up books like this and then setting them aside again, only partially read. Perhaps it's because search engine optimization is just such an ephemeral, always changing topic. And I found books like this just aren't useful for general reading, only if you have a web project you're currently working on, right in front of you as you read....more

The best of the Sookie Stackhouse novels so far, Club Dead was fun, funny, and an all-around good time. Though, I have to admit that maybe I enjoyed iThe best of the Sookie Stackhouse novels so far, Club Dead was fun, funny, and an all-around good time. Though, I have to admit that maybe I enjoyed it so much because Alcide Herveaux, the sexy and manly werewolf, has finally entered the picture. I got to conjure up the face of dreamy Joe Manganiello (the actor who plays Alcide in the TrueBlood HBO series) every time Alcide was in a scene, and he's in almost all of them....more

This novel was very hit and miss for me. The story follows the young nun Evangline, who is descended from a family of Angelologists (scholars who haveThis novel was very hit and miss for me. The story follows the young nun Evangline, who is descended from a family of Angelologists (scholars who have devoted their lives to the angelic Nephilim--the evil off-spring of angels and man, back in the time of Genesis, who still live among us and are the exploiters of all man's most brutal flaws) as she discovers the truth about her past, her family, and her heritage and helps the Angelologists retrieve an important and dangerous artifact before it falls into the hands of the Nephilim.

The opening left me with a forboding feeling that I was reading the next The Da Vinci Code, only with ten million times better prose at least. Her prose are, at times, immaculate. But even this is hit and miss. Her writing is sometimes so dense and beautiful that it renders the dialogue ridiculous, as everyone sounds like they're reading from a book or writing carefully formed prose in their journals rather than having real conversations.

The large, middle section of the book jumps back in time, changing POV character, and switching from third person to first person. I appreciated the deviation from generic predictability but, on the whole, I thought this section was a huge mistake. Trussoni interrupted the momentum of the narrative and virtually abandoned the story at hand, for some two-hundred pages, to essentially give me a history lesson on angelology and anti-Darwinist religious doctrine that I found very difficult to swallow. This section was so heavy-handed on preach and teach that I never felt the connection with the characters or the friendship between them, which was an essential element of the section. The lack of sympathetic characters and relationships left the whole section feeling hollow.

To top it all off, I was also disappointed in the ending. What I found myself caring about most was a decades old, Romeo-and-Juliet-tainted-by-demonic-angels love story whose lack of time in the spotlight and careless wrap-up left me feeling cold and bored.

And I'll just add that the overall, main character's story arch was very, VERY similar to that in The Da Vinci Code. Too bad Trussoni wasn't able to push this work a bit further. I expected more for the rumored $4 million she got for it.

**Addendum: I'd like to add that I DO plan to read the next book in this series, when it comes out. Trussoni's writing is quite promising, and I hope she can pull through with a stronger follow-up....more

At the outset, I was rather skeptical of whether I would like this newest memoir from Grogan--particularly after I realized that it didn't center arouAt the outset, I was rather skeptical of whether I would like this newest memoir from Grogan--particularly after I realized that it didn't center around the life of a canine! Also, Grogan himself read for the audio edition, a change that I wasn't at first a big fan of. It took some getting used to, but I think in the end it's almost always better to have the author read his/her own memoir.

This memoir follows Grogan from childhood into his parents' old age, recounting adolescent adventures, first kisses, and his struggles with his parents' domineering Catholicism. The primary themes are the father/son relationship and the religion issue.

The narrative was endearing, entertaining, and at times quite moving. A nice break from straight non-fiction or the more dramatic adventures of genre fiction....more

This memoir is quite unlike his other works. I would not describe A Wolf at the Table as humorous in any way, more like mildly horrifying, frequentlyThis memoir is quite unlike his other works. I would not describe A Wolf at the Table as humorous in any way, more like mildly horrifying, frequently heart-wrenching. But well worth reading if you've enjoyed Augusten's other works.

My only complaint of the writing is that he probably could have cut a lot at the beginning of the book. He starts out with his very first memories, which are not incredibly intriguing or fail to immediately draw the reader in.

However, I would give the production on the audio book version only one star. I guess this version was somewhat of a pet project for Augusten. They've got music written exclusively for the audio book, they've got sound effects, and Augusten reads in a very slow...overdramatic...pace...almost...the...entire...time. It was way over the top for me and detracted from the story....more

This young adult fantasy was readable, though often not very convincing.

In a medieval world of kings and castles, Princess Andrea feels like she willThis young adult fantasy was readable, though often not very convincing.

In a medieval world of kings and castles, Princess Andrea feels like she will never fit in. And when she discovers a magical passage into our world, she never wants to go back. Through utter negligence, Andrea accidentally returns to her world with her Earth-born crush in tow, triggering a war, an angsty broken heart, and an adventure to make things right.

The love story was, in parts, over-dramatic and sometimes awkwardly portrayed. It was also very transparent, though seemed to be trying to be subtle, about who liked who and who would end up with who. Many of the characters were not very likeable--John (Andrea's crush), Tio Ramiro (Andrea's uncle), and her father the king, to name a few. I felt like Tio Ramiro treated Andrea like crap the entire time and she just took it. She never really stood up for herself. She either acted like a spoiled teenager or she took it all like a wet blanket. Additionally, I found the ages of people to be very vague. I'm not even sure the author really knew how old everyone was, so just tried to cover it up with wishy-washyness.

Lastly, there were a lot of ridiculously unbelievable elements to the story, that maybe the author was hoping noone would notice since many of them are just small details. Such as...An arrow wound in the shoulder that had been stitched up and healing for several days, if not a week, would not "pour a waterfall of blood" if the stitches were torn open, and the injured person would not be in danger of instantly bleeding out. Plus, a seventeen-year-old girl would not be able to, from the water, haul a full-grown man up and into a boat, let alone (probably) herself.

This is a condensed version of In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, focusing strictly on the what to eat segment of it and addressing nutritionalThis is a condensed version of In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, focusing strictly on the what to eat segment of it and addressing nutritional science only in the book's introduction. The general summary of the contents (and the three-section layout that Pollan utilizes) is: Eat Food; Mostly Plants; Not Too Much. These three sections contain a total of 64 food rules that help one figure out how to eat quality, non-processed (real) food in the maze of "highly-processed food-like substances" that now fill our grocery stores.

But you don't need to memorize all 64 rules, just keeping in mind one from each section will do. A few I've been using lately include: From section 1: don't buy any food that contains ingredients you can't pronounce, don't buy any food with more than five ingredients, don't buy any food with any kind of sugar as one of the first three ingredients.From section 2: don't eat meat for more than one meal a day, never eat a portion of meat larger than your fist.From section 3: eat a large meal at breakfast, medium meal at lunch, and light meal at dinner (I never successfully do this, but I know eating your largest meal late in the evening is no good. I'm trying!); the smaller your plate, the less you'll eat; eat until you're only 80 percent full.

Where, then, are the dramatic questions? The need to know WHY that propels me forward through the narrative?

I'm still looking. And yet, I also kept reading.

Hornet's Nest is not fast-paced but deliberate. Lisbeth Salander, the kick-ass, take-no-prisoners heroine is fascinatingly complex and will, I think, be remembered and appreciated for a long time to come. Interestingly, this final installment in Larsson's Millenium trilogy also lacks the classic mystery format that accompanied the other two, since in this case we already know who did it from Fire. I guess all we don't know is: what are they going to do next?

These books are unexplainably better than the sum of their parts. I can nitpick every single little thing about them, and yet they're still somehow...GOOD. I remain baffled....more

I absolutely loved this collection of short story memoirs by Augusten Burroughs. They are relatable, intriguing, amusing, and sometimes quite shockingI absolutely loved this collection of short story memoirs by Augusten Burroughs. They are relatable, intriguing, amusing, and sometimes quite shocking. I found myself being reminded of these stories all day long and wanting to tell my husband about all the funny things that happened in them, as if they were my own stories. For dog owners, there are a couple of stories in here that you will find particularly enjoyable.

This is definitely a book that I would like to own and read again and again....more

Cosima Noline (Codi) has returned to Grace, Arizona--a hometown that has never felt like home--to care for an ailing father who has never given her thCosima Noline (Codi) has returned to Grace, Arizona--a hometown that has never felt like home--to care for an ailing father who has never given her the love or approval she needed. With her sister, Hallie, off in Nicaragua helping communities in a warzone grow enough food for their families, Codi is left to face all the old torments of her childhood--the ever-present feeling of being an outsider--alone, along with an old grief that has jaded her perspective on life for nearly two decades.

Kingsolver's prose are unbelievable rich, vivid, and unexpected. Her characters are well-developed and the depth of her themes content profound. In general, I would say that Kingsolver's works aren't those that you ever come away saying, "What a great story!!" It's everything around the story that makes it great. Like a real life that you can slide into and see and feel and experience everything as if you were the protagonist.

I have to add that the book is broken into two view-point characters - Codi and her father Homero. Homero is suffering from Alzheimers and Kingsolver does an amazing job of capturing the confusiong and mishmash of memories that that disease causes in the mind....more

I didn't realize they even did abridgements anymore, let alone that I was listening to one--untilWarning: the audio version of this book is abridged.

I didn't realize they even did abridgements anymore, let alone that I was listening to one--until they very end of the book.

I have to say that I won't be reading the printed version, to see what I missed. It just isn't worth a second go-round. The memoir follows Patrick Swayze's life from childhood up until about a year before his death in 2009. His being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is part of what inspired him to write the book.

There are definitely some interesting facts to learn: who knew he was a professional ballet dancer before he moved on to acting! And it's an interesting peek into the life of an actor strategically driving his career. But on the whole, the story leapt from one Big Event to the next, with the age-old story of alcoholism and emotional distress in between, making this memoir just okay--probably because it was the abridged version!!! GRR!...more

I would say this is Pollan's least interesting book and not really worth spending time on--unless you're really interested in the history of Johnny ApI would say this is Pollan's least interesting book and not really worth spending time on--unless you're really interested in the history of Johnny Appleseed or the tulip craze in Holland, or you are an aspiring marijuana farmer. Following the legacy of apples, tulips, cannabis (marijuana), and potatoes (specifically, the genetically modified new leaf potato) in four distinct chapters, The Botany of Desire contains some interesting botanical factoids buried within boring personal accounts and historical and sociological information that would have been more effective as sidebars rather than as the main content of the book....more

Every woman, old or young, married or single, planning to get married or not should read this book. The marriage statistics alone are worth it. But GiEvery woman, old or young, married or single, planning to get married or not should read this book. The marriage statistics alone are worth it. But Gilbert's compelling narrative voice comes through in this follow-up, as it did in her first memoir Eat, Pray, Love.

This second memoir follows her research and self-exploration on the issue of marriage, as she and her husband-to-be, Phillipe, travel the world in exile after he is unofficially deported from the U.S. He will only be allowed to return if they get married, a thing they had previously vowed never to do.

In addition to coming to grips with a marriage forced on her by government regulation, Gilbert also explores motherhood and her decision never to have children....more

Simplify Your Life is an excellent book on getting organized. The recommendations in it are accessible and easily and immediately applied to one's daiSimplify Your Life is an excellent book on getting organized. The recommendations in it are accessible and easily and immediately applied to one's daily life. I found the examples and instructions much more concrete and applicable than in most other organization books.

As a warning, it is written with a religious slant but not overbearingly, so it's easy to skip over if you're not interested in that element....more

I found Stieg Larsson's second installment of the Millenium Trilogy even more boring than the last. However, I still enjoyed it almost as much as TheI found Stieg Larsson's second installment of the Millenium Trilogy even more boring than the last. However, I still enjoyed it almost as much as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

I'm still trying to figure out what makes these novels good, despite their plodding pace. Here's what I've come up with: 1) They plod very steadily, so at least I know what pace to expect throughout.

2) Wonderful character development on our lovely Lisbeth Salander and some of the supporting characters make it easy to empathize. Although, this second novel introduces quite a few new characters and doesn't spend the time fleshing all of them out, so some simply remain names on a page. I also noticed that he uses the same or very similar names for different characters, causing me some confusion as I read. Even the Erika Berger/Malin Eriksson combo was confusing at first. And I swear two different characters had the last name Johansson. Don't they have more than 10 names in Sweden?

3) Complicated, but well-plotted and well-written story makes these novels interesting even to those who don't typically enjoy whodunit mysteries.

Two additional items to note. This second novel is much less graphic than the first, for those who didn't like that aspect of it. And be forewarned, Larsson drops Salander's point of view for the entire middle section of the book, and it becomes almost a straight detective novel for that segment. But the last paragraph of the novel is great--equal parts refreshing and frustrating....more

I'll start by saying it has been very interesting reading all the negative reviews on this book, here on Goodreads. One of the biggest problems peopleI'll start by saying it has been very interesting reading all the negative reviews on this book, here on Goodreads. One of the biggest problems people have with it is that it is frequently classified as humor. I classified it as humor, as well, before even reading it. And, from my view, the classification still stands. The book made me laugh out loud in places--that means it's humorous.

The pseudo-memoir (Burroughs was sued for defamation by his foster-family for some not-so-accurate events and family practices depicted in the book) follows young Augusten through his adolescent when his mentally unstable mother fobs him off on her psychiatrist, who holds some very unorthodox views on parenting, anger, and life in general. Augusten is eventually adopted by Dr. Finch (taking in strays is a common practice for the Finch family), has a relationship with his thirty-year-old brother-by-adoption, and spends much of his time rebelling against authority with Dr. Finch's daughter Natalie.

The one downfall of the memoir, for me, was that Burroughs failed to introduce a strong story-arch into the narrative. This is a challenge with memoir, but has been done quite successfully in all of the other memoirs I've read recently. Since I was listening to this story, rather than reading it, I couldn't look at how many pages I had left to know that I was nearing the end. The story just suddenly started wrapping up and then Poof! it was abruptly over, and I was left surprised and just the teensiest bit dissatisfied.

Lastly, I should say that Running with Scissors is not for the faint of heart. Read from the right perspective, it can fascinate and entertain you, as well as make you feel a lot better about your own life ("Wow, I'm so normal!"). Read in the wrong state of mind, it can apparently make one very depressed and appalled. But I say, what's the big deal?! Burroughs obviously came out of his troubled childhood okay. He went on to become a talented and succesful writer. Yes, he probably has a few residual issues, but who doesn't?...more

I got through 52 pages of this clumsy tale. Two London girls, Zanna and Deeba find themselves whisked away from the city they know and into the strangI got through 52 pages of this clumsy tale. Two London girls, Zanna and Deeba find themselves whisked away from the city they know and into the strange and mistifying Un Lun Dun (UnLondon). In Un Lun Dun, Zanna is the Schwazee who is destined to save the magical world from some evil thing called Smog.

What primarily turned me off the book was the awkward dialogue. The girls speak in a casual vernacular that comes off as forced and contrived. The book's second downfall is the plot itself (at least the meager bit I saw in the first 52 pages--see above). The story is so banal as to put me to sleep, and Mieville tries to spice it up with strange and marvelous creatures and contraptions that he fails to make me care about. Finally, with the strange and curious world of Un Lun Dun essentially taking front and center over plot and everything else, character development also got very short shrift....more

This dog-centric memoir follows Grogan's life from the early days of marriage and on into a familial life of three kids, a house, and a Marley--theirThis dog-centric memoir follows Grogan's life from the early days of marriage and on into a familial life of three kids, a house, and a Marley--their psychotic but loving yellow lab--who serves as the constant thread that holds the narrative together. I found the story extremely enjoyable and often times very funny (particularly as a fellow dog-owner), though Grogan sometimes shared a little too much information for my tastes. Of course the ending is sad, as we've probably all heard about or seen from the movie: dogs live and dogs die. Grogan does a great job of describing Marley's doggish behaviors: his wiggliness and constant cheeriness despite almost every adverse circumstance. I also enjoyed reading about Grogan's journey in general--the challenges of marriage, dog-ownership, career management, and parenting....more

Mercedes Lackey is one of the dirty little secrets that I hide under the mattress and don't tell people about. Reading her books makes me feel reallyMercedes Lackey is one of the dirty little secrets that I hide under the mattress and don't tell people about. Reading her books makes me feel really good about my own writing. "If she can do it, why the heck aren't I?!" Plus, her novels are fluffy in all the right places--an easy, pleasant read between more serious works.

Foundation is the beginning of a new Valdemar series focused on the founding days of the Heraldic Collegium--Heralds being the magical peace-keepers of the realm. Mags, a scrappy, orphan working as a virtual slave at a mine for fine jewels is Chosen by his a Companion Dallen--Companions being magical horses with telepathic abilities and humanoid intelligence. Now a Heraldic trainee, Mags is thrown into a whole new world far beyond anything he could imagine within the realm of severe poverty from which he came. In contrast to the solitude and drudgery of his previous life, he finds he must learn to trust others and open up in order to make friends.

This particular work was probably the most light-on-plot novel I've ever read. Any kind of external action and over-arching plot takes place in only the last two chapters (and makes little sense beyond a clumsy setup for the next book). Otherwise, Foundation is simply a winter in the life of a new Heraldic trainee....more

Kingsolver's memoir of her family's year-long "locavore" experience is inspiring and fascinating. They demonstrate their non-support of U.S. industriaKingsolver's memoir of her family's year-long "locavore" experience is inspiring and fascinating. They demonstrate their non-support of U.S. industrial agriculture practices and politics, gas-guzzling imported foods and CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) in particular, by eating (almost exclusively) locally and sustainably grown foods and local, grass fed and free-range meat and poultry for a year. Primarily, these efforts involve growing a lot of their own vegetables, raising their own egg-laying chickens and some roasting chickens, raising their own turkeys, attending Farmer's Markets, canning and preserving vegetables for use through the winter, and otherwise seeking out local sources for everything they need to cook their meals. My favorite parts are the section on turkey mating and the one on making cheese (despite the fact that I hate cheese!).

If you haven't yet read anything (Michael Pollan, for example) on eating locally, living sustainably, and putting it to the man of industrial agriculture, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is an excellent place to start. Otherwise, the beginning of the work is a bit reiterative, sounding in places like paraphrases of exact passages from Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals....more

All in all, a disappointing read. Meyer stayed essentially on the surface of emotion and gave readers only a very shallow insider view of how a newborAll in all, a disappointing read. Meyer stayed essentially on the surface of emotion and gave readers only a very shallow insider view of how a newborn vampire might think and feel. Once again, she relied on the crutch of the first person point of view to help her readers feel closer to her protagonist, instead of developing this closeness naturally through strong prose, while never taking advantages of the unique opportunities that the first person POV allows....more